The invention relates to a transport mechanism for piece goods, such as disposable beverage containers.
Transport mechanisms of this type are used, for example, in decanting- and/or packaging lines of the beverage- and food industry. As a general rule, a decanting line consists of several machines, which are set up separately and are linked, in the direction of material flow, by means of a single- or multiple-track transport mechanism, whereby a transporter connecting two machines at greater distances can be divided into several individual sections, each with its own drive unit. For the monitoring and control of the transport mechanism, a multiplicity of sensors, by means of which the loading and conveying speed of the individual transporter sections, among others, can be determined, are additionally present.
Until recently, the control and regulation of such types of transport mechanisms, as well as of the processing machines incorporated, if applicable, were carried out by means of at least one central (SPS-) control device, by means of which, in the normal case, the frequency converters for the drive motors were also spatially coordinated with the individual transporter sections. This configuration disadvantageously brings about a star-shaped cable pattern with large cable lengths, as well as a high expense for assembly (DE 31 31 352 C2).
In order to avoid these disadvantages, it has already been proposed (DE 297 10 056 U1) to assign a converter, which is provided directly adjacent in spatial terms, to the individual motors of each transporter section, as the result of which only a ring circuit is still necessary to supply power to the drive motors. The cabling expense that is necessary for the transmission of the control- and sensor signals can likewise be drastically reduced through the use of a bus line. The bus line is connected with a central control-/regulating device (memory-programmable control device, industry PC, or the like). Although a notable simplification has already been achieved with this technique, the laying of a bus line still always requires some expense, most particularly if an existing transport mechanism should subsequently undergo spatial changes.
In contrast to this, the task that forms the basis of the invention is that of presenting a transport mechanism with a simplified and flexible signal transmission system.
By means of the proposed wireless signal data transmission (for control-, measuring-, or configuration data), a wire-bound data bus system can be advantageously dispensed with. This not only brings about a saving of cable material and a reduction in the work expenses for the installation of the data transmission system, but a simple adjustability is also advantageously present upon reconfigurations of the transport mechanism.
In accordance with one further development of the invention, sensors and/or actuators coordinated with a transporter section can be equipped with wirelessly-operating data transmitters or receivers, as the case may be, as the result of which signal lines for the control module can be dispensed with.